Walking in Andorra with a GPS device

[JohnGray]

Some friends of mine will be doing a week of walking in Andorra and have asked me for a recommendation for a GPS device which will work well in the mountains, include mapping at least as good (bad?) as the available paper maps (which are not especially accurate) and not be too expensive (certainly less than £200).

My only experience is with the Garmin i3, so I am a little out of my depth!

One of the books they have says that on some of the suggested walks the GPS satellite signals can be rather poor, but much of the time it is quite good.

Any recommendations (especially from anyone who has been to Andorra) gratefully received!

john

[briwy]

We visit the Pyrenees regularly and I use a Garmin GPS60CSX.

The only time it loses a signal is if you are VERY close to a cliff face.
Reception in woods is excellent.

I believe there is a Topo map available from the French Garmin agent. This is not a Garmin product apparently but works OK and shows contours and paths.

I havent actually walked in Andorra but I cant see why the signal should be worse there than any other part of the Pyrenees.
I have driven through using an old Garmin GPS 2+ in conjunction with TomTom on a PDA and didnt get any signal problems

For mapping and plotting routes I use memory map, their Pyrenees & SW France maps which are good.

For paper maps the French IGN 1.25000 are good. The latest ones have GPS compatible stamped on them which have UTM grids on.
I think these are available for Andorra but not sure.

I dont think you will be able to get this lot or anything similar for under £200 though. The memory maps cost about £85 ish.
Garmin etrex can have maps on but I changed my Etrex for the GPS60 with SIRF3 as the reception on the Etrex was hopeless. Lost the signal many times in the mountains and as soon as it saw a tree.

My advice would be get any SIRF 3 GPS which will give good reception and use it in conjunction with the paper maps.


Hope this helps

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